Wire stretcher.



No. 658,149. :Patentd'spt la, |900.

H, JACOB-s. WIRE STRETCHER.

(Application ,med Han 9, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

mi' Nonms Pstzn cu. Pumouyno., msumzmm4 n. c.

Patemu'sepi. la, |900.

No. 658,I49.

H JACOBS.

WIRE STHETCHER.

(Application ,med nan 9, 1900.) (No model.) 2 sheets-sheet l.

No. 658,I49. Patented Sept. I8, |900. H. JACOBS.

WIRE STBETUHEB.

(Application led Mar. 9,1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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Tw: cams man co. moro-u UNITED STATES! PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY JACOBS, OF LEXINGTON, ILLINOIS.

wlRE-s-TRETel-lER'.k

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,149, datedSeptember 18, 1900. Applicatonifiled March 9, 1900. Tlerial No. 8,029.kNo modeld To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, HENRY JACOBS,a citizen of the United States, residingat. Lexington,

in the count-y of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Wire- Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for reof the fence, and it is alsocapable of use for general coupling operations.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of theseveral parts, which vwill be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying thefeatures of the 1invention shown applied in operative position andpartially broken through. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig, 1,showing the pulley rope or cable removed. Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofa part of the machine shown broken away. Fig. 'is a side elevationof'one ofv the compound pulleys employed in connection with the machine.

. Similar numerals of reference are employed parts in the several ticalalinement, brackets 6 extending outwardly from the ends of the said jawsand having guide sheaves or pulleys 7 horizontally disposed therein. Athroat 8 is formed between the'jaws 4 and 5 andis continuons, with anopen space between the inner opposing sides of the brackets b', the rearpart of the throat merging into or being continuous with an enlargedseat aperture or opening 9, formed in part in each jaw. The jaw4 isbprovided by cutting out the removable jaw 5A or separating a portion oftheside 2 in each `instance from the remaining part, or the side' 2 maybe constructed in the first instance' with the angular seat 10 toreceive the rear The said rear end of eachV Vjaw. 5 has a dowel-pin l1thereon to fit in a socket 12 in the lower portion of each side 2,; andto firmly hold the jaw 5 in contact fwith end of the jaw 5.

the side 2 and in-proper relation tothejaw 4 a bolt 13 is employed andisremovable at will.

:The said bolt 13 extends vertically through' the jaw 4 and the jaw 5,and by means of this separable construction of the jaw 5 on eachV sideof the machine the mechanism which will be hereinafter described can beconven- 'iently mounted in operative position or at any `time removedfor repair or other purposes.

At a suitable distance from the end strip 3 and secured to the sides 2is a transverse bearing-strip 14,having an openingl through the centralportion thereof in which one hub;

16 of a winding spool or reel 17 is loosely monnted,the opposite hub 18of the said spool' or reel having loose bearings in the en'd strip Anoperating-shaft 19 extends through or having backwardjmovement duringapar ticular operation which will be presently set jforth. VThe forwardend of the shaft 19 has la face-gear 23 fast thereon, which is provided'with a central outer concave recess 24 and a:

hub 25, which is formed to provide a clutch member, as clearly shown inFig. l. The clutch member 25 operates and coincides with 'acorresponding clutch formation 26 on the `free end of the hub 16 or thespool or reel. The shaft 19 is freely movable through the spool or reeland has a circumferential flange `27 on its rear portion to coact withthe adja cent bifurcated end 28 of a latch 29, which is spring-actuatedand mounted in a casing 30, 1' as shown by Fig. 1, the outer end of thelatchbeing angularly projected and headed, as at 31, for convenience inoperating the same. When the shaft 19 is moved forward inthe mitted tobear on the shaft and the front edge of the said ange, and in thisposition the clutch member 25 ofthe gear 23 will be thrown intoengagement with the clutch formation on the end of the hub 16 and theshaft 19 i thus locked to the spool or reel 17, whereby a rotation ot'the shaft in one direction will cause the spool or reel to be similarlyrotated. .L In operating the catch 29 as set forth it will be understoodthat the head or end 28 is cleared from the shaft. 19 and liange 27 by4pressing outwardly on the outer angularheaded extremity of said latch`and against the action of the spring cooperating therewith. The shaft19 is rotated by means of a crank-handle 32, secured to the 'rear endthereof, and to conveniently hold the machine during the operation whichwill be hereinafter explained it is provided with a grip or handle 33,secured to the rear portion of the side 2, near the catch 29 and in aplane at right angles to the said side, so that the operator may beenabled to hold the frame and machine entire with one hand and rotatethe shaft 19 through the medium of the crankhandle 32 with the otherhand.

In the seat apertures or openings 9 twisting-heads 34 are rotatablymounted, one on each side, and both being of the same construction onlyone will be particularly referred to. The twisting-head comprises aninner beveled gear 35, having a tubular hub 36, having a circumferentialgroove 37, in which the opposite portions ot' the jaws 4 and 5, formingthe wall for the seat aperture or opening 9, are located, the hubs'beingsutilciently loose in the jaws in each instance or on opposite sides ofthe machine to permit the gears 35 to freely rotate. In mounting thetwisting-heads 34 in position the lower jaw 5 on each side isdisconnected, the hub of each head then placed in position, asexplained, with the gears 35 innermost, and the said jaws 5 afterwardreapplied, as shown in Fig. 4, and thereby hold the said heads inoperative relation with the remaining parts ot' the machine. The bore ofthe hub of each head 34 continues through the center of the gear portionof the same, and communicating with the said continued bore is a radialslot 38, in like manner continued through the length ofthe hub.

On the inner face of the gear portion of each head 34a wire-holder 39 islocated and comprises a support 40, in which is pivotally mounted aspring-actuated holding-jaw 41, having a free end 42, between which andthe adjacent part of the support 40 the ends of the wire operated uponmay be introduced and firmly held while the twisting action hereinaftermore fully referred to is being carried on. j

From the construction thus far explained it will be observed that thewire or ends of separated wire .are introduced in the twisting-heads bymoving it or them inwardly between the jaws 4 and 5 and through theradial slots 38 to the bore of the hub and gear of the twisting-head ineach instance. To accomplish this, the twisting-heads are turned so thatthe radial slots 38 will be in line with the throat between the jaws 4and 5 and as clearly shown by Fig. 2, and to close the said throat andto keep the wires or wire from working out .the slots 38 closing-pins 43are movahly mounted in the jaws 4 and extend into close contact with theupper edges of the lower jaws 5, said pins having operating-levers 44pivotally connected thereto and fulcrumed on a support 45, the rearportions of said levers being normally held in elevated position and thepins 43 depressed by means of springs 46. It will be understood that oneof the pins 43 is located in operable relation to each pair of jaws 4and 5 and that by depressing the rear extremity of the lever 44 said pincan be quickly elevated to clear the throat between the jaws for exit orentrance of the wire or wires from and to the twistinghead ineachinstance.

The gears 35 are adapted to mesh with the face-gear 23 lwhen the shaft19 is adjusted to its forward position, as clearly shown by Figs. l and2, and in view ofthe relation oi" the said gears 35 to the gear 23 itwill be observed that the twisting-heads will he turned in reversedirections. In connecting the ends of the brokenwire runner or any othertwo wire parts or extremities the ends or extremities are carried pasteach other a distance equal to that between the inner opposing portionsof the twisting heads, and the end on the left, for instance, will becarried through the head on the left and connected to the holder on theright head, and,converse1y, the end of the wire on the right will becarried' through the head on the right and attached to the holder on theleft head, and by this means a thorough and practical jointure of thewire ends can be obtained. After the wires are thus connected theclosing-pins 43 will he raised and the twisting-heads turned to bringthe radial slots 38 thereof in linewith the throats between the jaws 4and 5, and thus permit withdrawal of the wire from the machine or theremoval of the machine from the wire.

To render aA machine of the character set forth complete in'its service,it is necessary to make provision for drawing the wire ends togetherwith sufficient tension to effect the jointure desired or to obtainenough overlap of the wire ends to produce the locking-twist. To arriveat this result in a simple manner, the compound sheaves orpulleys (shownmore clearly by Fig. 5) are employed, and comprise a draft-bar 47, towhich upper and lower space members 48 are secured, and from the saidspace members guards 49 project in parallel planes and rotatably inclosehorizontally-disposed sheaves or pulleys 50, two being located IOC

